FO: Mom's Sweater Vest v. 2

Pattern: Bracken Waistcoat
Yarn: Jo Sharp DK Classic Wool 5 balls (nope, I didn't end up needing that extra ball I ordered!)
Needles: Knitpicks interchangeable, size 6. (perfect for sweaters, just perfect)
Mods: I made several stupid mods to this sweatervest that in the end made my life much harder. First, it tells you to knit the first st of every row - I slipped each first stitch. Later you need to pick up 3 sts every 2 rows. Sort of impossible to do nicely when you only have one outside st every two rows. Then, before I even did that, I did a gauge swatch that told me that I had much looser gauge than that in the pattern, so I cast on less stitches. Four inches later - I have tighter gauge than what's called for in the pattern. Rip, and start over. Still too tight gauge. This time though, it's just off by a stitch or two, so I just try to knit looser. Which generally worked.

Did the button band - didn't pick up enough stitches because me slipping the rows, and then when I cast off it puckered awfully. And I don't even want to talk about the increasing/decreasing issues I had!

I did lengthen the pattern, but the combination of the pattern being a "waistcoat" and my mom and I having long torsos made it still just be a waistcoat, but I think it looks really good! But now mom doesn't get it until christmas!

Speaking of christmas gifts, I just finished needle felting the felted nesting bowls I made last week!



They're for my aunt that loves shells! It’s rather cute, and needle felting is really fun, but not sure if I’d do it all the time, considering I bought a little kit with 2 needles and broke one already, but ah well! I'm more than halfway through the Lily shawl!